Baller Times

Not to be mistaken with Wolfgang Puck, this steakhouse is started by Wolfgang Zwiener, who used to be the head waiter at the famed Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn. Had read reviews that the steak here was good so I came in with high expectations.

Started my meal with their Crab Cake which was pretty deluxe, with lumps and lumps of crabmeat and minimum fillers. It tasted wonderfully fresh and with the accompanying sauce enhancing its flavour!

Coated with a thin layer of Hokkaido potato flour before deep frying, this 辣子鸡 was hella addictive! Boasting a crunch, this made for a good snack to have while waiting for your main dishes to arrive. My only qualm was the spice, would have preferred if they were sweat inducing but hey, I guess this helps to maintain my glam at a restaurant 😂✨

Well, there was nothing to shout about for the fried rice here. With a 2 Michelin Star accolade tied to its name, I had expected the food here to be better. Don't get me wrong, some of the dishes were great, but were they 2 Michelin star worthy though, I'll let you ponder about that.

Of course, as with all restaurants, there are hits and misses. The Char Siew here were largely forgettable, though their sio bak here were pretty decent. I’d give this dish a miss if I patronise them again.

Have you really patronised them if you didn't order their signature Chen's Mapo Tofu?⁣
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Pardon the photos as I was too excited to dig in! The flavours here compared to the exact same dish at their sister brand @chensmapotofu were somewhat mellower, and I'd definitely prefer the rendition there. Though the flavours, spiciness and numbing effect from this dish were more subdued, their soft and silky tofu is definitely still a treat that goes perfectly well with rice.⁣

Absolutely stunning is how I would describe this dish. The lobsters were obviously fresh, with every bite being so succulent and full of oceanic flavours. I love how they make full use of the lobster, by decorating the shell into a butterfly like design and placing it at the side as part of the plating. Props to their innovation!

Not quite sure what this dish is called, but it was stir fry together with the remnants of our Peking duck! How you devour this dish is by placing a spoonful of the cubes of duck meat and other ingredients into the cabbage in the foreground, before taking a mouthful in. While this dish may not be the star of the night, i still enjoyed it nonetheless ✨

Absolutely adored this dish! The incorporation of foie gras further amplified the flavours exuding from it, making every mouthful an explosion of umami-ness. The beef cubes kinda looked the same as foie gras, so every bite was a surprise, not knowing which is which and I love it that way ☺️

Sweet Dumpling with Sesame Filling, topped with Peanut Powder - thought it was just regular tang yuan until I took the first bite. The sesame filling within was like molten lava, hot and oozing everywhere. I did make a mess on my plate, with the smooth, grainy sesame dripping everywhere. I did my best to be lady-like and suppress the desire to pick up the plate and lick them off.⁣
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The skin was soft and chewy, and really thin, which makes one wonder how it was ever capable of encasing the thick sesame filling within. For the best experience, eat them in 1 mouth and drown yourself in the velvety sesame and peanut fragrance. Definitely the perfect dessert to end the satisfying dinner I had.

Back at home, I'm usually the one who does the ordering. But since I'm an invited guest for this occasion, I wasn't aware of the dishes being ordered and I kinda like it that way. There is this element of surprise and anticipation, hoping whatever comes next is good and can top what I just had.⁣⁣
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So surprise was I, when this Braised Shark's Fin in Superior Soup (3 Taels) appeared before my eyes. The broth's texture was smooth and luxurious, evident of the long brewing hours. It also lacks the starchiness that we usually see in regular shark's fin soup, which makes me wonder, if this is how shark fin soup really tastes like? They say you get what you pay for, but I'm still really caught by surprise at the cost of this delicacy. Probably the last time I'm going to have shark fin.

Loss for words was my reaction when asked "how's the Peking duck?" Could only widen my eyes and nod furiously while happily chewing. Have long heard about how good the food here was but never expected it to be this good. I only took a fleeting glance at the shimmering copper and bronze duck before it was whisked away to a corner to be taken apart for our consumption. When it was (finally) placed in front of me, I daintily picked this thin layer of fatless skin up with my chopsticks, packed it together with some shredded spring onions and the accompanying sauce and it's amazing.⁣
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The glistening skin was crispy and savoury, with the sweetness from the sauce to balance it off. The meat on the other hand, was debatable. As per the usual SOP, the meat usually appears in subsequent dishes, and in our case, mixed in with my favourite ee fu noodles. Whilst delightful, it didn't strike me as an absolute must have, though in all fairness, no one orders Peking duck for its meat, so, I would still suggest ordering this for the delicious skin. ✨

Japanese Wagyu beef steak in truffle shoyu on rice with wobbly onsen egg, topped with shaved truffles. Mmm, luxurious treat indeed 😋 ⁣⁣⁣⁣